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Material Data Sheets

PTFE Gaskets

Custom Gasket Mfg. is a recognized leading manufacturer of high quality PTFE gaskets, seals, washers and insulators. Our company's reputation for excellence has been built on our ability to provide our valued customers with the most effective designing, engineering and manufacturing solutions to meet their most demanding applications. Our main objective is to continuously exceed our customer's expectations by providing them with high performance gaskets and sealing products, competitive pricing, on-time delivery and exceptional customer service. Custom Gasket Mfg. maintains a modern manufacturing facility along with knowledgeable, technically-oriented professionals enabling us to consistently meet all your blueprint specifications and tolerance requirements.

Custom Gasket Mfg. has over forty years experience specializing in the manufacturing of precision PTFE gaskets, seals, washers, and insulators for a wide range of industries and applications. We fabricate custom PTFE products by means of die cutting, stamping, punching, water jet cutting, and laser cutting. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene consisting completely of carbon and fluorine. It is innately hydrophobic (repelling water and water containing substances) and has one of the lowest coefficients of friction against any solid. PTFE has excellent dielectric properties and provides excellent thermal insulation with an operating temperature range of -400°F to 500°F. PTFE is the most chemically resistant plastic known and is unaffected by most corrosive liquids, vapors, and gases. PTFE is generally offered in thicknesses spanning from .002" to .250" thick and conforms to both FDA and AMS specifications, making it acceptable to both medical and food production industries. Custom Gasket Mfg. can custom manufacture quantities from prototype and short run through large production runs. We will fabricate custom PTFE components to your precise specifications. Custom Gasket Mfg. takes pride in its ability to consistently provide precision PTFE products guaranteed to meet your specifications and function perfectly within your application.

The three basic types of PTFE materials include: Virgin®, Filled® and Expanded®.

PTFE, Unfilled Gaskets (Virgin PTFE® Gaskets)

Virgin grade PTFE gaskets are made from 100% pure material which is used in most general applications. It is extremely soft and formable and is often used for chemical resistant seals and gaskets. It is made directly from the resin producer and has never been processed into a shape. It possesses the highest physical and electrical insulation properties and has increased resistance to creep (compression) under load. Virgin grade PTFE can be recognized by its whiter color compared to mechanical grade PTFE.

PTFE, Filled Gaskets

Filled PTFE gaskets are made from PTFE which integrates additives and fillers in order to improve the performance of the gasket. This improves the gaskets ability to wear and enhances its unique combination of chemical, physical and electrical properties. Filled PTFE is the most common type of PTFE gasket for industrial use as it exhibits improved mechanical strength compared to Virgin PTFE. Glass, carbon and fiber particles are typical fillers that are used to enhance the mechanical strength of the gasket depending on the application.

Our most common PTFE filled grades include:

PTFE, Glass Filled Gaskets

Added in various amounts (5% to 40%)

Increases compressive strength

Rigidity and wear

Reduces creep and cold flow

Minimal effect on chemical and electrical properties

Used in applications to decrease cold flow

PTFE, Carbon Filled Gaskets

Added in various amounts (10% to 35%)

Increases compressive strength

Hardness, wear and load properties

Good chemical resistance

Various types and amounts of carbon can be added to alter conductivity

PTFE, Expanded Gaskets

Expanded PTFE gasket material is produced by expanding Virgin PTFE using a process that creates a uniform and highly fibrillated microstructure with equal tensile strength in all directions. This means that expanded PTFE possesses no structural weakness or a "grain". Since no additives are required, expanded PTFE also possesses the unique chemical resistance of Virgin. Expanded PTFE is much softer and more flexible than regular PTFE gaskets and thus conforms easily to irregular and rough surfaces. The material is easier to compress and minimizes creep and cold flow.

Garlock® Sealing Technologies Gylon®

Gylon®Style 3500: PTFE with silica filler. Its main features include: excellent chemical resistance, improved performance over conventional PTFE, resistant to cold flow and creep, excellent bolt-load retention, outstanding dimensional stability under thermal stress, and resistance to wear and abrasion. It is fawn in color.

Gylon®Style 3504: PTFE with a filler of glass microspheres. Its main features include: resists a wide range of chemicals, highly compressible with excellent bolt-load retention, improved performance over conventional PTFE, outstanding dimensional stability, and resists wear and abrasion. It is blue in color.

Gylon®Style 3510: PTFE with barium sulfate filler. It is the most chemically resistant of the Gylon® series. Its main features include: excellent chemical resistance, improved performance over conventional PTFE, resistant to cold flow and creep, excellent bolt-load retention, outstanding dimensional stability under thermal stress, and resistance to wear and abrasion. It is off-white in color.

Thermoseal® (Klinger®)

Klinger® Top-Chem-2000: Heavy-duty modified PTFE with the addition of silicon carbide. It is used for applications in the chemical and petrochemical industries as well as in the ship building industry. It is the only PTFE based material with fire safe approval.

Klinger® Top-Chem-2003: Modified PTFE contains glass microspheres. It has great compressibility and is ideal for maintaining a tight seal even at low surface loads and temperatures. It has excellent chemical resistance in strongly acidic and alkaline applications and excellent mechanical properties at medium temperatures and loads.

Klinger® Top-Chem-2005: Modified PTFE optimized for use in acidic applications. The addition of glass improves the mechanical properties of PTFE and increases the operational range of PTFE based materials. It is designed for use in acidic environments and cannot be used with strong alkalis.

Klinger® Top-Chem-2006: Modified PTFE optimized for use in alkaline applications. The addition of barium sulfate improves the mechanical properties of PTFE and increases the operational range of PTFE based materials. It is designed for use in alkaline environments and cannot be used with strong acids.